Episode 274: The Stalking and Murder of Peggy Klinke – Part 1

A beautiful, beloved pre-med student living in sunny New Mexico had no idea that accepting a date from a fellow classmate would be the beginning of her worst nightmare. He escalated from possessive control to verbal abuse to brazen acts of terror, all while she was told by police to come back when something happened. Her story is her legacy and has helped millions of people understand a crime that only recently had been recognized when it happened to her. This week’s episode is The Stalking and Murder of Peggy Klinke – Part 1.

If you or someone you know is being stalked, help is available. For resources and information on your rights, contact the VictimConnect resource center at https://victimconnect.org/ or 1-855-4VICTIM. If you’re interested in learning more about stalking awareness or would like training or materials on stalking prevention, visit SPARC's website at stalkingawareness.org

TikTok referenced in the show (charting treatment in a relationship): https://www.tiktok.com/@elyiia_/video/7326294014163045665

SOURCES

2022 Report to Congress on Stalking, United States Department of Justice Office of Victims of Crime: https://www.justice.gov/d9/2023-06/2022%20Report%20to%20Congress%20on%20Stalking.pdf

Are Stalking Laws Unconstitutionally Vague or Overbroad?, Northwestern University Law Review, Volume 88 (2), 769-802: https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/are-stalking-laws-unconstitutionally-vague-or-overbroad#1-0

Boyfriend of Victim Speaks Out on Stalking, Albuquerque Journal (July 18, 2003), Newspapers.com (Subscription required)

Cause for Alarm - The Danger of Domestic Violence, Albuquerque Journal (April 6, 2003), Newspapers.com (Subscription required)

Debbie Riddle, Stalking Must Stop: https://stalkingmuststop.org/

Enhanced penalty for stalkers of children, 18 U.S. Code § 2261B: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2261B

Ex parte Barton, No. 02-17-00188-CR (Tex. App. Jun. 30, 2022): https://casetext.com/case/ex-parte-barton-23

Father: Stalker "snapped," killing woman and himself, The Hanford Sentinel (January 25, 2003), Newspapers.com (Subscription required)

Grim Act of a Man Unable to Let Go, Modesto Bee (January 24, 2003), Newspapers.com (Subscription required)

Harassment, Section 42.07, Texas Penal Code: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.42.htm

Interstate domestic violence, 18 U.S. Code § 2261: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2261

President Joe Biden Proclaims January 2024 as National Stalking Awareness Month, Sierra Sun Times: https://goldrushcam.com/sierrasuntimes/index.php/news/local-news/52746-president-joe-biden-proclaims-january-2024-as-national-stalking-awareness-month

Prosecutor's Guide to Stalking, Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center: https://www.stalkingawareness.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/SPA-19.005-Prosecutors-Guide-to-Stalking-00000002-revised.pdf

RGVEZC Works to Raise Awareness on Human Trafficking, Stalking Statistics, The Monitor (January 24, 2016), Newspapers.com (Subscription required)

Stalking, Section 42.072, Texas Penal Code: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.42.htm

Stalking, 18 U.S. Code § 2261A: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2261A

Stalking: Real Fear, Real Crime, National Center for Victims of Crime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3bTc22pq-o

Stalking Charges: An Opportunity, Not an Afterthought, Aequitas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVy7gQmKhSQ

Stalking Opponent Speaks at Local High School, Weekly Villager: https://weeklyvillager.com/stalking-opponent-speaks-at-local-high-school/

Stalking Policies and Research in the United States: A Twenty Year Retrospective, Eur J Crim Policy Res 15, 261–278 (2009): https://doi.org/10.1007/s10610-009-9100-4

Still in the shadows: The unresponsiveness of stalking prosecution rates to increased legislative attention, Journal of Criminal Justice Volume 73, March–April 2021: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047235221000143?via%3Dihub

The Dutch Approach to Stalking Laws, 2 Cal. Crim. L. Rev. 1 (Oct 2000): http://www.boalt.org/CCLR/v3/v3royakkersnf.htm

The Nature and Constitutionality of Stalking Laws by Robert A. Guy, Jr.,, 46 Vanderbilt Law Review 991 (1993): https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/vlr/vol46/iss4/6

Update on Criminal Harassment and Stalking Statutes (2023 Course), Texas Bar Continuing Legal Education: https://www.texasbarcle.com/